Don't hate me because I tan easily. Ten minutes in the sun and I'm toasty and golden all over - well, almost all over. My legs rarely see the light of day! Skirts and shorts are not usually apart of my wardrobe for good reason - just trust me on this. It's just not natural to see pale legs when the rest of my body is tan. On occasion I'll break out into a skirt or shorts so those are the times when I need a little help in the tanning department. I'm not into fake 'n bake, have never tried a professional mist tan, and I'm easily scared off by self-tanners that leave a streaky mess. My inexpensive solution is usually drugstore brand bronze enhancing moisturizers.
When I received L'Oreal's innovative Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Air Brush Self-Tanning Mist in Medium (one shade fits all) I was intrigued. A professionally inspired airbrush mist delivery system that dries within minutes and gives you an even, 100 % natural-looking, streak-free tan, no rubbing required. With 360 degree application to help reach even the hardest spots, this little bottle delivers a professional tan right in the comfort of your own home. Plus, it helps disguise veins, scars and stretch marks! Sound too good to be true? Then it usually is.
I showered and exfoliated just like the instructions indicated. I applied the mist at arm's length and made sure not to rub in. I made the mistake of misting myself on my bedroom carpet. I realized the carpet was starting to feel damp underneath my feet so I frantically threw a towel onto the floor. Besides that, everything seemed to be going good. After a few minutes of drying, I noticed my skin taking on a natural glowy tan. I was so excited I ran downstairs to show my husband. He thought I didn't need it because I was tan already and said I would regret it the next day. What did he know?? I couldn't believe how easy it was to get my legs matching the rest of my body with just a few easy sprays.
The next morning I was mortified! That natural glowy tan I thought I had turned 5 shades darker and was a streaky, uneven mess! Not only that - my feet were a muddy orange disaster and were 10 shades darker than the rest of my body! I guess every mist sprayed ended up falling onto my feet. The soles of my feet were also the same colour which was disturbing especially since the colour did not reach the back of my ankle. I jumped into the shower and scrubbed my skin to death with every body scrub I owned until I was raw and red (apparently rubbing lemon juice gets rid of it but I had no clue at the time).
The over-scrubbing helped a bit but not nearly enough. Thank goodness I was able to use the PedEgg (love!) on the soles of my feet to bring it back to its normal pale state. As for the rest of my body, I had to unwillingly accept that the quickest fix would be to give my body another spray to hopefully even it out. It helped somewhat but there were still spots on my legs that were uneven. It was hard to spray it only on the lighter parts without getting the darker parts darker. To maintain the tan, you're supposed to spray 1 to 2 times per week but I was too traumatized. My sister-in-law, who is naturally fair and doesn't tan as easily, wanted to try it despite what had happened to me. I figured, maybe it was just me and the way I applied it. She was as excited as I was when I first started seeing results. But I warned her that she would be much darker the next morning.
When she came down for breakfast in jeans and a sweatshirt I burst out laughing. I couldn't blame her for taking a beauty risk because that's what real beauty junkies do! We came to the conclusion that it is definitely a two-person job. However, I think I'll be going back to my bronze enhancing moisturizers. No streaks, no mess, and you get naturally bronzey skin! Anything that promises to give you professional results plus more in a can is probably too good to be true.
*Note: The formula contains alpha hydroxy acids, which can make skin more sun-sensitive; wear a sunscreen.
Have you tried this product? What was your experience with it?
L'Oreal Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Air Brush Self-Tanning Mist is sold are available at chain, drug, food and mass market retailers nationwide.
For more information, visit www.lorealparis.com.
To read my TotalBeauty.com review click here.
Beauty Review: L'Oreal Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Air Brush Self-Tanning Mist
